


Three Lies+Two Truths

by CryptidKid2020



Series: Rooster Teeth FF [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Betrayal, Civilian Gavin, F/M, Fake AH Crew, Families of Choice, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-03-21 05:21:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13733997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CryptidKid2020/pseuds/CryptidKid2020
Summary: All it took was the unveiling of three simple lies to shatter the simple life-and only two truths to fix it.A story where Gavin lives a life as a boring action news cameraman (without the action) and goes home to an overly domestic home-life with his boyfriend, Ryan of two years..... until the truth about Ryan's real occupation gets revealed.





	1. First Lie

**Author's Note:**

> Another prompt idea from a friend :)
> 
> ((This story is purely fictional and are not at all accurate to these real-life people and their real lives. This story is not a real depiction of any of the people written in it in real life.))

            Life can be easy, simple, enjoyable…. maybe just a tiny bit bland and repetitive, but some lives are like that.

Gavin’s life doesn’t escape that lively trope, his life completely revolves around the same things day after day. Wake up, go to work as a boring action news cameraman (without ever personally filming any actual action) then comes home late to two cats and a wonderfully patient boyfriend of two years.

Sure, his life is bland, very boring and domestic. But for living in the dangerous city of Los Santos, Gavin’s thankful for having such a safe life.

It’s terribly mute and almost numb-nonetheless, it was them, always playing out like usual and nothing ever being different.

 Until everything changed. . . nothing is the same again.

 

            The day started differently.

Gavin wakes up cold and alone in a big bed, his phone alarm going off and a notification on his screen. Groggily getting out from underneath the sheets and shutting off his alarm, smiling softly the brit checks his phone and reads a text from Ryan.

_(6:38 AM) Morning Gav, sorry I’m not still in bed with you but I had an early appointment with a client at the gym. I’ll hopefully be home earlier than when you get off, have a good day at work and stay safe filming. XOXO Ryan_

Setting down his phone and yawning he starts to get ready just like he does every day- nothing is that much different.

 

            The day went differently.

He got to work earlier than he normally would, thanks to not having the normal wake up routine with Ryan. Sat down for work then was immediately dragged out by a different news team than his usual crew- their cameraman having called in sick.

Adrenaline rushes through his body as the reporter tells him the infamous Fakes were currently robbing a bank down the block.

Tightly holding onto the camera with shaky hands as he aims it steady towards the reporter, while she describes the scene that’s occurring behind her.

There’s already a panicked crowd and nearly an army of cops outside the bank, yet they’re the only news station that’s covering the incident- the excitement of getting first shot and it being his first uninterrupted action shot makes Gavin’s all too enthusiastic to go home and tell Ryan about his already mismatched day.

Nearly dropping the camera as a giant explosion rocks the street, Gavin steadies his grasp just in time to catch the fakes rushing out of the front- firing shots randomly at the cops.

Zooming onto the shoot-out, he just barely catches as a cop’s stray bullet hits one of the fakes- the crew member falling down with a pained shout, before a large unmarked van drives in front his shot.

He points the camera as the van speeds away from the scene, nearly an ocean of cop cars following after them.

The reporter looking windswept and her pupils blown concludes the shot with a promise for an update about the robbery at a later time. As Gavin cuts off the live report he earns high-fives from the rest of the report team, cheering as loud as they can before returning to the station.

Importantly and very differently from every day, he leaves his boss’s office with a promotion and new reporting crew- nothing at all like a normal day.

 

            The night continues to be as different as the day.

Gavin rushes home hoping that Ryan was already home, knowing that he couldn’t wait any longer to tell his boyfriend about his day.

He imagined arriving home and finding Ryan in the kitchen or relaxing on the sofa, telling him about his day and promotion, having a nice dinner and maybe making up the lost morning time they’ve missed.

What he did find when upon coming home is nothing he’d ever imagine seeing- especially not in his own home.

Opening and loudly closing the door behind him as he excitedly calls out Ryan’s name, he enters the dining room where five guys are variously dressed and slightly blooded. One guy sitting on top his dining table shirtless with a white bandage wrapped around him, the five men all staring at him wide-eyed and shocked.

Gavin sees that one of the men is wearing the frighteningly familiar Vagabond mask.

Going still at the realization that the five members of the fake ah crew for some bloody reason are currently in his dining room.

Afraid of the men standing around in his apartment, he not so secretly reaches for his phone. The stockier and smaller of the five being the first to snap out of it and tackles him to the ground with a harsh thud as the brit’s phone slides out his hand and out of his reach.

The sound of Gavin’s pained groan snapping the rest of the crew out of their shock, the other four quickly rush over to where Gavin’s struggling to get out of the smaller fakes hold on him.   

“Get off me you bleeding prick!” Shouted Gavin flailing uselessly at the other man.

“Fuck Jeremy come on let Gavin up,” Spoke up an oddly familiar tropical shirted and ginger bearded man.

Gavin looks up at the four hovering men in confusion as to why they know his name and why they look familiar- besides seeing blurry footage and pictures of their faces.  

“Wait this is _thee_ Gavin? Oh, shit I’m so sorry!” Exclaims the shorter fake, quickly scrambling to get off him. The fake- _Jeremy_ offering an apologetic smile and a hand to help the brit up, only to which Gavin hesitantly takes before being yanked up to his feet.

“Why the hell are you in my house! Better yet to ask how you all know who I am?” Angrily questions Gavin taking a step away from the five fakes.

Four of the fakes looks towards the Vagabond with a slightly annoyed and exhausted expression on their faces, Gavin notices that the Vagabond visibly tenses.

“Don’t know, why don’t you ask him? He was the one who told us you weren’t gonna be home until later,” Scowls who Gavin can now recognize as boss Ramsey.

Narrowing his eyes at the Vagabond as something feels very familiar and almost natural about the masked man.

“Just take off the mask you fuck- he’s gonna figure it out sooner or fucking later,” Barks out the injured fake, making the Vagabond shy away from Gavin.

Gavin steps closer to the Vagabond his curiosity and worries for who’s under the mask, masking his own bubbling panic and fear of _the_ Vagabond and his horrific reputation.

The masked man stares up at Gavin, the shaded eyes of the mask hiding any kind of emotion that you’d be able to see in the man's eyes. Gavin moves away from the Vagabond and the other fakes, as the masked man sighs heavily and quickly slips off the mask, ripping it away from his face like you would with a band-aid.

“Ryan?”

“Hey, Gav,” Ryan greets rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, “I-Uh didn’t know you’d be home so soon.”

Gavin blankly gaps at Ryan, his face still painted with violent red and black face paint- But Gavin can recognize his boyfriends face anywhere.

Ryan reaches a hand out to Gavin, the brit jerking away in a huff. The Vagabond quickly retracting his hand from his lover, a deep frown on his face as he steps away.

Tensing his arms down at his sides, Gavin glares at Ryan and four other fakes as he angrily pushes past them.

“Ryan dude you are so fucking screwed,” Announces the injured fake, earning an elbow to his uninjured side.

“Not the time Michael,” Warns Jeremy while the injured fake- _Michael_ crosses his arms.

Gavin slightly gags at the amount of blood covering his dining table and floor. Sneering at the sight as he enters the kitchen, the five fakes tentatively following him.

Carelessly tossing his keys onto the kitchen counter, he ignores the feeling of five pairs of eyes watching his every move- like he’s going to bleeding attack one of them.

“Gavin…” Softly speaks up Ryan, the familiar gentle voice of his boyfriend making Gavin tense posture go slack as he lets out a shaky sigh- the brits back still turned to Ryan and the other four fakes.

“What Ryan- ‘it’s not what it looks like’ or some other bull like that?” He replied clenching his fists.

“No of course not- I know your smart enough to figure what _this_ is,” Ryan says his booted footsteps sounding louder on the kitchen floor.

The brit whirls around, making Ryan step away as Gavin harshly jabs a finger into his chest pushing him back a bit. “ _This_?” Gavin questions, “ _This_ is our home, Ryan! You’re the _Vagabond_ \- The most dangerous crew in LS is in our home, _your_ crew! There is _blood_ on the table where we eat!” Gavin exclaims his pitch getting higher as he points out more and more.

“We can clean that up- it’s no problem,” Announces the tropical shirt guy, smiling apologetically at Gavin.

Gavin gawks and throws up his hands, “See what I mean! you’re all criminals, some _murderers_ \- people are so afraid of who you are… _I’m fucking afraid,_ ” Gavin trails off, letting his arms fall limply down to his sides.

The kitchen stays deathly silent- besides Gavin’s heavy breathing and Jeremy’s drumming fingers on the counter.

Ryan stares at Gavin, his lovers’ words drilling deep into his mind. He wishes for Gavin to stop avoiding his eyes-or at least look up at him- to hold the other in his arms-or to hopefully be able to have the right to do so again.

Gavin breaks the silence with a choked laugh, “I knew today would be different,” He huffs out as he finally looks up at Ryan, his own hurt in his eyes matching Ryan’s.

Ryan swallows the rare lump in his throat, “Come on Gav, please can we talk this out more?” He asks, restraining himself from reaching out and begging for Gavin to just _listen_ to him.

Shaking his head, he once again pushes past the four fakes, “I’m going to bed,” Gavin tells no-one in particular.

Gavin ignores Ryan’s one last call of his name and closes _their_ bedroom door, before sinking down on the floor and curling into a ball in front of it.

He wished the walls were thicker as tried to block out the fakes conversation:

“Well, that was a mess.”

“He’ll come around eventually.”

“If he doesn’t- you think he’ll turn us all in?”

“If he does…. Ryan, you know what we might have to do.”

Finally, he hears Ryan’s voice loudly speak up, “I won’t let you.”

“Then you better convince your lover-boy otherwise.”

“It’ll turn out all alright buddy, just takes time.”

“Thanks, Jeremy.”

Gavin sighs as the conversation between the fakes die down, he slowly and quietly strips from his work clothes and numbly slides into an empty bed.

The days very different occurrences finally crash down upon Gavin, him shoving his face into his pillow as he lets out a mute scream which turns into muffled cries. He lets everything wash over and drown him in his own pitifulness and confusion.

Maybe he wanted for things to change, no more muted living and a numbing repetitive routine. . . something different.

Well, he got what he wanted all right.


	2. Second Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lie about occupational decisions and enjoying the thrill of being one of the most hunted men around. 
> 
> ((This story is purely fictional and are not at all accurate to these real-life people and their real lives. This story is not a real depiction of any of the people written in it in real life.))

With a night of restless sleep and waking up again in a cold and even emptier bed, Gavin lays silently as he blankly stares up at the ceiling, him becoming lost within his own thoughts.

Ryan is the Vagabond.

He’s in the most dangerous and powerful crews ever known.

His boyfriend has been lying to him for years.

If he doesn’t keep shut about the fakes he’s gonna get killed.

The Vagabond is his boyfriend.

He still loves Ryan.

He’s in love with one of the world’s most murderous men.

“Bugger all,” He mumbles to himself, covering his face with his hands before dragging them down in frustration.

Untangling the sheets that had wrapped around his legs and grabbing a nearby shirt and pants in precaution if the fakes are still hanging around his house.

Gavin goes to open the door- but stops himself as he rests his forehead against it, psyching himself up and talk to hopefully _just_ Ryan.

Taking a deep breath his pulls the door open and walks out.

Upon entering his living room, the first thing he sees is Ryan curled up on the couch, the other man’s face still being semi-painted, his position looking very uncomfortable and mildly pitiful. The second thing he realizes is that its just Ryan- the other fakes thankfully having left during the night. As he quietly makes his way past the living room and into the kitchen he sees that his once blood covered dining table and floor is spotless- not a single piece of evidence stating that such a mess was ever even there.

Put off slightly on how fast and seemingly easy it was for the fakes to clean up such a bloody mess, he’s still a glad that they managed to keep their word about cleaning it up.

Gavin reaches for two mugs, knowing that even with how last night ended between them, he’s still not that angry and not that much of an ass to let Ryan go without coffee.

Hearing Ryan yawn and mess around in the living room, Gavin busies himself by getting out other stuff for Ryan’s and his’s coffee.

Ryan shuffles into the kitchen with another yawn, cutting it off mid-way as he locks eyes with Gavin. Ryan thinking that Gavin was some kind hallucination, he puts a gentle hand on the Brits’ shoulder, Gavin jumping just slightly before patting Ryan’s hand with his own.

“You still got some paint on you Rye,” Gavin points out with a soft smile before turning back to the coffee machine.

Confused, Ryan wipes the back of his hand on his face before looking down at his hand. Ryan lets out an embarrassed chuckle as he leaves the kitchen to wash off the rest.

“You better not have gotten any paint on the couch!” Teases Gavin, calling Ryan out before filling up his and Ryan’s mugs.

To Ryan it seems that Gavin is completely disregarding the fact of what happened the night before, ignoring the important things and sweeping them under the rug and continuing on with life like normal, like Gavin typically does in these kinds of life-changing situations.

Leaving the bathroom with what paint he could get off, he returns to see Gavin sitting on the couch with a cup a coffee in hand and another cup in front of him on the coffee table.

Sighing Ryan goes to sit down next to Gavin, still keeping some space between them, taking his own cup of coffee he watches Gavin and the other man silently watches him back.

“How did you sleep?” Ryan starts off slowly.

“Eh could’ve been better, bit cold and lonely,” Gavin answers truthfully, “What about you? The couch couldn’t have been that comfortable,” he adds.

Feeling his sore muscles, Ryan rubs at his lower back, “It wasn’t- but I didn’t think you’d appreciate me sleeping in the same bed as you after what was said.”

“I wouldn’t have cared all that much,” Replies Gavin taking a sip of his coffee.

“Yes, you would’ve, you might say that you don’t mind but last night I think you’d kicked me out- I would’ve slept on the couch no matter what,” Ryan tells Gavin, the brit avoiding the eyes of the other knowing that _is_ what would have happened.

Putting down his coffee and sighing, Ryan scooches closer to Gavin, “We can’t ignore what happened last night- everything changed, you now know who I am-,”

“No.”

Ryan turns to look questioningly towards the brit, “No?”

“I don’t know who you are Ryan- you’re my boyfriend and I still love you…” Gavin admits watching as Ryan’s eyes light up at his words, “But you lied to me- we’ve known each other for years both as best friends and as lovers and you lied to me. . . So, I don’t really know what the truth is or not anymore.”

Frowning, Ryan turns away from Gavin as he fiddles with his hands, “Would you like to know about me now you know what I really do for a living?” Ryan offers.

Gavin furrows his brows in thought, “It would be the complete truth? No spaffy half-truths and lies?” Asks Gavin.

Ryan looks back up at Gavin and jerkily nods.

“Alrighty,” Gavin says setting down his own cup before turning his entire body towards Ryan, back leaning against the armrest and his feet touching Ryan’s thigh.

“You are in the main Fake AH Crew?”

“Yes? But you already know that-.”

“How long?” Gavin interrupts.

“Before I met you,” Answers Ryan.

Gavin frowns slightly, “Do the fakes usually come ‘round when I’m not here?”

“No, this was a first and hopefully last time we have to use our house as a safe house,” Ryan tells Gavin, his tone clearly annoyed that they were even there in the first place- which is understandable seeing that Gavin did find out about everything.

“Michael- or Mogar as he’s know- was bleeding out and the cops had surrounded us… So, we came here thinking that you weren’t going to be home until later,” Adds Ryan as he looks at Gavin with a puzzled expression.

“Wait why did you get home so early? Was it because our robbery was to close or something?” Questions Ryan.

Suddenly flashing back to yesterday, the adrenalin rush of filming the fakes in action and excitement getting such a promotion motivating him to finish up early and tell Ryan about his day- now that he knows that Ryan is a part of said crew that he so detailedly filmed he’s a little concerned about the footage that went life yesterday.

“Ah well, I got a promotion-.”

“That’s great Gav!”

“-But I closely filmed what you and your crew did for live tv,” Admits Gavin squirming slightly in his seat.

Silence starts between the two before Ryan clearing it away with a cough, “You were out in the field yesterday?”

“Yeah.”

“You weren’t supposed to be, right?”

“Yep, but the other cameraman was sick, and I arrived just in time to catch the fakes sixth big bank robbery,” Replies Gavin.

“You didn’t get hurt?” Asks Ryan.

“Almost dropped the camera when the bomb blew up- but otherwise tippy toppers.”

“Thank God,” Says Ryan pulling Gavin into a hug, “Glad to know Michael’s dumbass explosion didn’t hurt you.”

Gavin accepts the hug hesitantly, before full-on wrapping his arms around Ryan, realizing its been almost two days since he’s got to be this close to Ryan.

“This means you’ve never had a ‘job’ at the gym?” Gavin asks letting Ryan pull away from him.

“Yup- even though me and the others do go to the gym to keep our reflexes in check,” Ryan affirms, starting to chuckle, “It’s funny to say but you’ve met the others before- except for Jeremy, but that’s only because he’s new.”

Blinking blankly at Ryan he watches as the other man starts to chuckle a bit more awkwardly, “Wot! When?” Gavin exclaims.

“I think we’ve had dinner with Michael and his wife Lindsay like a year ago? And sometimes when you stopped by at the gym I think I made Jack and Geoff act like I was their personal trainer- Geoff didn’t really like that,” Ryan admits, trying to think back on incidences that Gavin could remember.

“Also, Jeremy wanted me to tell you he’s sorry for tackling you- he wouldn’t have if he knew who you were,” Adds Ryan.

A flurry of emotions crosses over Gavin’s mind, mainly shock, confusion and faintly a feeling of betrayal of someone he loves and trusts so much to keep such a big and dangerous secret away from him for so _long_.

Ryan said he was telling the truth _now_ -

But how many times had Ryan lied to Gavin’s face without an ounce of guilt-

Lying about how his day went-

Lying how he got so many bruises and injury’s, them all coming from the “gym”-

Gavin thoughts freeze to a single terrible thought-

Ryan could’ve _died,_ and he wouldn’t have ever learned the full truth behind his death-

Even if _ever_ did find out that Ryan died.

“ _Gav_? Gavin…. Are you okay, did I say too much?” Ryan asks Gavin, lightly shaking the brits shoulder.

“If you died would I even get to know?” Gavin quietly questions shrugging off Ryan’s hand.

Ryan’s slightly amused expression falls to one of a concerned frown, “W-What does that have to do with-.”

Gavin head jerk up, staring intently into Ryan’s eyes, shocking the older man with the sudden action, “Let's say If I never found out about you being the Vagabond- and you somehow _died_ , would the other fakes even bloody tell me?” Harshly reiterates Gavin staring down Ryan.

Pausing, Ryan would like to answer that yes, in the circumstance of his death Gavin would learn that he did indeed die- but he doesn’t know if the others would really do that, they’re a close-knit group of criminals and Gavin _isn’t_ a criminal- he fears the most he would’ve been told is that the Vagabond died not that _his_ Ryan also died too.

“I-I don’t know- I’d hope they would, but we- _I_ haven’t planned on it ever happening- which I will admit is pretty selfish of me,” Ryan honestly tells Gavin, earning a pained sigh from the brit.

“You can die at anytime Ryan- you’re the Vagabond for all sakes, people on both sides are hunting you down! – a-and I’m just a bleeding cameraman while you’re running around killing and robbing things,” Gavin scowls getting off the couch and turning his body away from Ryan.

Sighing and letting his shoulders slacken up he quietly speaks up, “Answer me this last question Rye,” Gavin tells the other man, still not facing his boyfriend, “You enjoy what you do, don’t you?”

“No,” Ryan lies before he can stop it from spilling past his lips.

Seconds of silence go by before Gavin turns to face Ryan, the older man looking up at the brit and seeing a pained look on his face.

“Tell me the truth Ryan- I can’t be lied to again, _please_ ,” Gavin pleads, his voice full of emotion.

“I do alright,” Ryan admits, “Some stuff I do I _don’t_ enjoy, sometimes it can haunt me- but a lot of the other stuff is why I keep doing it, and sometimes I think it’s the only thing I _can_ do now,” Adds Ryan standing up himself, stepping closer to Gavin to where he’s an arm’s length away.

“I love you Gavin and I know what happened last night is the worst thing that could’ve-,”

Gavin shakes his head and drags Ryan closer to him, burying his face into the other man's chest as he tightly hugs Ryan, “Not _the_ worst, a close second, b-but I’m glad there’s not such a big secret between us,” Interrupts the brit.

Moving up and burying his face into Ryan’s neck, Gavin feels the other finally returning the hug, “Just try not to lie about something this big again,” He tells Ryan.

“I will, seeing that it only took less than a day for you to come to terms with my occupational decisions,” Ryan says softly chuckling into Gavin's hair.

“As long as you don’t bring it home again,” Gavin chides smiling into Ryan’s shoulder.

“Just the blood stuff, right? Because I’d like to have the others formally meet you- only if you're comfortable with seeing them again,” Ryan asks, reassuring Gavin if he doesn’t want to its fine.

“Sure- I think we’d owe it to them knowing you probably talk so much about me, being the lovely Ryan, you are,” Gavin agrees teasing Ryan.

Ryan hums, “I wonder how much you talk about me to _your_ co-workers,” Trailing down the Brits’ neck and biting down slightly.

“Probably not as often as you do- you pleb,” Gavin breaths out.

“Yeah, think I’d agree- now it is Saturday, right?” Ryan asks pulling away with a devilish smirk.

“Mmmhmm.”

Completely pulling away from Gavin, he winks at the brit before heading further into the house- back into their bedroom.

Quickly pulling himself together Gavin happily follows Ryan.

            Things haven’t changed _that_ much…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending this chapter on a happy note seeing that the next chapter definitely won't be having one...


	3. Third Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The revealing of the third lie is what tears down the tower that once stood strong for so long. 
> 
> ((This story is purely fictional and are not at all accurate to these real-life people and their real lives. This story is not a real depiction of any of the people written in it in real life.))

“Burnie, what do you mean all our hard drives are just ‘gone’?” Questions Gavin, pacing back in forth in his boss’s office- said boss currently having his face planted on his desk.

“There was a break-in, something or someone came in and stole all our hard drives and wiped all our computers,” Answers his boss as his words slur together as the man has been drinking since he’d got the news from his employees.

Gavin stops his pacing and flops down in a chair opposite to his drunken and suffering boss, “And nobody knows who would’ve done it?” Gavin sighs, angry and saddened that his co-workers and his own work are all missing or erased- months of unreleased reporting and demanding work completely gone...

“Ugh- Who wouldn’t,” Scoffs Burnie sitting up in his chair to tiredly look at Gavin, “I mean we got footage and information on nearly every baddie and terrifying crews on his side of the country- should’ve known it would’ve happened sooner or later,” He admits before getting up from his seat and patting Gavin on the shoulder, knocking the Brit out of his own world.

“Go home early Gav- I've got some more stuff to clear up with the police,” Burnie tells Gavin.

“I can help you explain things, wanna make sure the police get the right idea on who did this,” Gavin retorts, standing up and looking at his boss with a puppy dog expression.

Burnie sighs, “No Gavin, I already sent home all the others and I think I can handle the police myself. I’ve lived and dealt with this city longer than you have.”

“But-.”

“Go home asshole it’s fine, get some rest and hang out with your boyfriend or whatever. I’ll call you when I get things up and running around here,” Burnie assures Gavin interrupting whatever excuse the brit was gonna say.

Giving up on his disagreement with his boss, Gavin closes his mouth and nods silently at Burnie. The older man gives the brit a reassuring smile and clap on the back before disappearing out of the office.

Packing whatever belongings he unpacked before everything went down. He grabs his bag and waves a goodbye towards Burnie and the police he was talking with and exits the station.

Walking down the sidewalk and heading back home, one thought in particular sticks in his brain.

_Would the Fakes do something like this, without telling him?_

 

            Since unveiling the truth of the Vagabond and the Fake ah Crew, not much has changed- in fact maybe things only have changed for the good.

Ryan’s more open to talking about his day and what he and the others did. He, over the course of a couple weeks, admits to more and more things that Ryan hid from Gavin. One important one being that Ryan always made sure that whatever the crew and he would be doing- would be far away from Gavin’s work and their home- even making sure to know where Gavin was filming just to have everyone take extra precaution to keep the danger far away. Because sadly the crews' shenanigans _do_ cause a lot of collateral damage. The Fakes heists famously known for property damage and of civilians getting injured, and Ryan didn’t want Gavin to be anything like _that_.

Ryan answers more of Gavin’s questions, a lot of them addressing rumors and stories of stuff the Vagabond and the Fake ah Crew had done.

Gavin takes in everything that Ryan tells him- some of it taking days before being completely taken in and digested as the truth- and after every truth that comes out of Ryan’s mouth, Gavin still stays and acts like Ryan’s murderous job and friends are completely normal. Shocking Ryan again and again as he continues to wake up to a sleeping Gavin in his arms, quickly making Ryan’s fears of the younger man leaving him due to his job disappear.

As months and many, many truths are said. The other Fakes have somehow made Gavin’s and Ryan’s house their own hangout pad every Friday.

After the first initial and official ‘meeting’ of the Fakes, it took only a week before Geoff and Jack set up a much more formal get-together at their penthouse. The formal meeting goes much better then the one at Gavin’s and Ryan’s, nobody got tackled, for a bad reason at least, and it didn’t have any shocking events to go down like a classic telenovela.

Weeks go by and Gavin’s relationship with the other Fakes develop. Michael no matter how much he argues and how loud he yells about Gavin’s annoying ass, the two get along just as well as two people who’ve known each other their whole lives would.

Geoff and Jack joke about Gavin being like their adoptive son, but as time goes along the two fakes tone start to sound a little less joking every time it’s brought up.

Gavin at first was a little hesitant about Jeremy and Jeremy was to in return. The shorter fake thinking it was because Gavin was afraid of him, and Gavin was just too weird at the beginning to go up and tell Jeremy ‘forget about the first meet mate’- but it didn’t work out that way. Finally one day Jeremy- with the help of some alcohol in his system apologized again to Gavin about the first meeting. _Where_ Gavin- who also had drank some beers that night- just accepted it by tackling Jeremy in the name of revenge. They got along after that.

Then with Ryan... the two felt that after everything, their relationship felt the same way as to when they first started dating. It wasn’t a new relationship. No, for how long the two have known each other and been together- they've nearly known every little thing about one another, both romantically and as friendly companions to each other.   

But that was before the bombshell of Ryan's true life had dropped on Gavin.

Although unlike the first time they started dating there was _no_ awkwardness, no making sure they were doing the wrong thing. _Just_ the years of comfort they've already created by being together, but even after the reveling and having nearly no change once so ever. Their relationship felt fresh and exhilarating by just the truth being told.

So, things must’ve changed for the good. . .

 _Right_?

 

“What are you doing here?” Gavin asks as he enters his house and sees Michael and Jeremy both sitting in his Living room playing Mario Cart.

“Could ask you the same question dude,” Replies Michael not even looking at the brit.

“This is _my_ house you pleb,” Retorts Gavin, taking off his backpack before flopping down on the couch next to the two other men, “How’d you even get in here?”

“Lockpick,” Jeremy simply answers, sticking his tongue out in concentration.

“Lucky we didn’t bust down your door or something, maybe you should give us a key for emergency’s,” Michael tells Gavin before throwing down the controller as Jeremy cuts in front of him and takes the win.

Gavin rolls his eyes and laughing along with Jeremy as Michael continues to loudly express his rage and current dislike for Jeremy.

“Thought Ryan told you guy’s not to use our house as a safe house,” Says Gavin as Jeremy’s and his laughter dies down along with Michaels yelling.

“He did in his own scary way- and we’re not hiding out here, we were just too lazy to go back to the penthouse,” Assures Jeremy before further explaining to the Brit.

“Did a stupidly boring job at the station,” Michael tells Gavin.

Gavin’s eyes widen, and he quickly sits up on the couch, the two Fakes to immersed in their new round then to witness Gavin’s panic, “Police station?”

 _‘Oh please god say yes you stupid idiot arseholes,’_ Gavin begs to himself.

“Nah, the news station- your station?”

Gavin’s very blood freezes in his body, “Wot?” He chokes out his tone dripping with confusion and panic.

Jeremy and Michael quickly turn to face Gavin, neither caring to even pause the game. Gavin silently looks at the two Fakes, his face pleading for what they said to be a joke.

“I-I thought Ryan would’ve told you-,” Jeremy says looking at Michael for some backup.

“Yep, you know since he’s been telling you the truth about everything,” Adds Michael.

Shaking his head as he goes over every recent conversation he’d had with Ryan, and nothing the other had said involved anything with _basically destroying the place he works at_.

“You didn’t know?” Jeremy asks turning his entire body to face Gavin, as Michael turns off the game and the Tv.

“No course not! I wouldn’t be freaking out as much if I’d bleeding known,” Gavin argues.

Michael furrows his brows in confusion, “Did he even tell you why you two met?” he asks making the brits head shoot up.

“Wait, even I’m getting confused. What’s happening?” Jeremy questions, copying Gavin’s expression of puzzlement as the two look at Michael.

Groaning and slapping his hand against his forehead, Michael stands up. “Of course, that fuck didn’t tell you,” He nearly growls, “Years back we were having problems with the press leaking information about the crew and our heists to the public- including the police- so even you can see we needed a way in,” Explains Michael.

“And I was the bloody way in, wasn’t I?” Gavin sadly says and Michael nods.

“I guess that the crew thought that you were our best bet, seeing that you weren’t from around LS and you are Gavin-,” Michael softly chuckles trying to make light of what he’s admitting too.

Gavin gives Michael a small smile, then looks down and fiddles with his fingers.

“Uh, since Ryan was the least recognizable out of us he volunteered to be the one to you know, get to know you? Then all we know Ryan’s getting files us and then we hear that Ryan’s got a civilian boyfriend,” Michael continues.

“He stopped after a while, he felt guilty about stealing your stuff and we finally figured out how to hack shit.”

 Jeremy senses a shift in the room, “I know what your thinking Gav, and I know that it’s not true.”

Scoffing Gavin looks up at the two Fakes, “That Ryan and you guys have been using me for years?”

“Not at all!” Jeremy shouts looking at Michael for support, but the other Fake just awkwardly rubs the back of his neck, “Shit- well maybe yes.”

Gavin huffs and turns away from Michael and Jeremy, “I understand that you guys needed to cover yourselves up. But you could’ve just asked for files before breaking into my work and destroying everything!” Argues Gavin, thinking back to how stressed out Burnie and his co-workers we’re before leaving.

“We thought about doing that,” Admits Jeremy.

“However, we all didn’t want you doing our dirty work for us,” Michael says, “We’re also probably major dicks for doing so, but you’re a civilian Gav and we’re criminals- big ones too- and sometimes the two shouldn’t come together.”

“I get it alright! I’m just a spaffy civilian dating the big bad Vagabond- and I can’t do anything to help out my _friends_ because it’s not right to help out _criminals_.” Quipped Gavin glaring down at his feet before looking up at the other two men.

“No Gavin- we wanted to make sure you’re safe!” Shouts Jeremy glaring back at Gavin, the three men all having a staring contest that immediately ends as the front door shuts loudly.

The three men’s eyes dart across the living room to see Ryan-still fully painted in his Vagabond regalia- stare at Jeremy and Michael like they had grown an extra head.

“Um hi? What are you two doing here?” Ryan asks the two other Fakes, gaze flickering over to Gavin checking the brit up and down.

“Gavin knows, Ryan- now Jeremy and me are leaving, see you tomorrow,” Says Michael, watching as Ryan’s painted eyebrows raise in surprise.

“Go easy on him Gav,” Jeremy and Michael warn Gavin before nodding at Ryan as they make a fast exit out the house. Leaving Ryan to stare at Gavin in shock and Gavin to leave the living-room with a huff as he heads to their bedroom, Ryan hot on his heels.

Gavin’s spins around when he feels Ryan lightly grab at his shoulder, effectively stopping him from walking away.

“Ryan, I know okay-how this was all started on a lie and now it’s not- well maybe it still is, I don’t know-.”   

“No, No Gavin- it was only at the beginning- _this_ is true, it’s _always_ going to be true between us,” Ryan tells Gavin, moving his hands from the Brits’ shoulders to his hands.

“Why didn’t you tell me what Jeremy and Michael were gonna do today?” Gavin asks Ryan, staring down at his feet not wanting to look at Ryan’s face paint.

“Didn’t think you’d appreciate hearing our plan to basically wipe your entire database,” Ryan admits, “Also didn’t want you to think you could’ve helped us out because-.”

“-Because I’m a civilian and you want to keep me safe, I know Michael gave me the crap speech,” Interrupts Gavin finally making an attempt to look at Ryan.

Gavin pulls back his hands away from Ryan, the sadly familiar feeling of betrayal that he felt not too long ago creeping back into his mind, “Why didn’t you just tell me the night I learned that you’re the Vagabond?” He asks.

“I was afraid that was going to be the breaking point for you- that you’d just up and leave and wouldn’t be able to stop you, because I don’t want you to stay with a person you fear and have no trust in,” Ryan admits truthfully.

“Ryan you used me in the beginning, you didn’t love me at first when you said you did- you lied to me about loving me, _again._  How do I know you still aren’t lying to me every time you say those words to me, Ryan.”

“I’ve _never_ lied about how much I love you- maybe at first I did a little bit, but you also couldn’t have possibly loved me the way we love each other now,” Ryan admits breathlessly.

With a raging storm of emotions in his eyes, Gavin stares deeply into Ryan’s, “ _I_ did Ryan. I loved you as much as I do now the first time I saw you- and I thought you loved me too, I know you _do_ love me _now_ Ryan, but for what reasons? I have no fucking clue.”

“Gav- Gavin, I love you for all the right reasons. I love you for being so dedicated to your job. I love you for sticking with all my bullshit for all these years, I love you for the time we get to have together. I love you, Gavin, for being just for who you are- not for information or a way into the press- I love you because I love you for _you_ ,” Strongly rambles Ryan watching as Gavin starts to slightly crumble with each word he says.

“I know, I know you do, but I _can’t_  understand everything right now Ryan. . . I don’t know why I can’t, but I just _can’t_ ,” Gavin admits with a pained and desperate expression, that pulls on Ryan's heartstrings

"And you don't have to- not right now, or maybe never- Just. . ."

Ryan sadly sighs before giving Gavin one last squeeze on his shoulder, “I’m going to go sleep over at the penthouse- I don’t think a couch situation will work for us right now,” Ryan announces, letting his hand fall limply to his side.

“This sucks Rye,” Wetly chuckles Gavin while looking up at Ryan.

“I know- I’m sorry I kept hiding things from you.... please call me when you thought everything over-” Ryan apologizes as he gives Gavin a chaste kiss on the cheek then leaves the house before Gavin can say anything else.

Once the door shuts Gavin lets out a choked sob and hurries into the bedroom and collapsing onto the bed just before his legs collapse on him.

He lays face down on his bed as hot angry and frustrated tears soak into the mattress. After minutes that feel like hours of laying face down, his nose and face start to feel numb as he turns over on his back and stares at the ceiling. He lets his anger towards being lied to again by Ryan and his new friends fester into a horrible monster inside of him, only for the monster to be extinguished by the sadness of Ryan lying to him and then thinking it’s best to leave- when they should be trying to talk it out. But Gavin _knows_ Ryan made the right call to leave.

' _He knows you better then you know yourself_ ', Gavin tells himself 

The realization and understanding of everything, only makes his anger come back, then for it to wash away again due to his own misery.

It just seems like a never ending terrible battle that’s happening inside him. Not a single champion in sight.

 

At one-point Gavin’s emotions fade away as exhaustion hits him, and he falls into a fitful sleep only to wake up hours later with a pounding headache and an even louder pounding on his front door.

His immediate thought is that it’s Ryan or one of the Fakes coming to talk or yell at him for fucking up his relationship with his problems. So, he takes his time to get answer the door all the possibilities for what’s on the other side of the door playing out in his head.

As he gets closer to the door the knocking gets louder and faster, he cringes away from it as he unlocks the door and opens it, “What the hell is going on- Oh, hello,” Gavin trails off before greeting as he sees a very nicely dressed and handsome stranger staring at him weirdly.

“Ah, hello- I’ve seen you’ve just wakened up,” Says the stranger sounding way too cheerful.

“Uh yeah, I guess you can say that,” Gavin agrees before closing the door a little, hiding behind it as the stranger’s observation and sly smirk unsettles the Brit, “What can I do for you?” He asks delicately.

“Oh-Ho lots of things,” Darkly chuckled the stranger, as his smirk grows larger and more dangerous looking. Acting quickly, he tries to slam the door shut on the man, only for the man to roughly ram into the door nearly knocking Gavin over as the Brit makes a run for it.

He kicks over a table and chair to slow down the man chasing him in his own house, he holds in his laughter as the man completely trips over them giving Gavin a head start in running away.

Jumping on the couch and using it as a shortcut to get to his bedroom faster, he makes it to his bedroom door before the stranger attacks him from the back and roughly pushing Gavin into the ground with the man's knees harshly digging deep into his back.

Not being able to see his attacker, Gavin blindly swings behind him landing a punch before having his arms roughly grabbed and twisted against his back, making him yell out in pain as his shoulder feels like it’s being ripped open.

“Fucking stop moving you wormy shit,” Curses the stranger, twisting Gavin’s arms more until the brit stops struggling and lets out a pained whimper.

Gavin feels the man remove one hand from him while the other hands' grip increases in strength, he feels the stranger moving to grab something before feeling his wrists getting tightly zip-tied to where he can already start to feel his circulation getting cut off.

“What do you want you with me? Take whatever you want just leave me alone,” Gavin questions, feeling confused as to why his fear is numbing just like the rest of his body.

The man finishes zip-tying his feet together before standing up and glowering down at Gavin, Gavin moves his head to glare up at the stranger as he uses the last of his strength for one last attempt at his bonds.

Gavin watches as the man crouches down, knees loudly cracking with the action, “You’ll find out soon enough- but let’s just say everyone in Los Santos knows whose Vagabonds little bitch is,” Laughs the man as he stands up and kicks Gavin onto his back.

“Sorry but not sorry kid,” insincerely apologizes the stranger as he leans down and gives a single swift punch to the face and Gavin’s out like a light.

            _Things are very much different after all._   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :/


	4. Two Truths and Many Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The differences all come together.
> 
>  
> 
> Warnings: Violence/Description of blood
> 
> ((This story is purely fictional and are not at all accurate to these real-life people and their real lives. This story is not a real depiction of any of the people written in it in real life.))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finals were kicking my ass and I finally got a break to write the rest of this, hope Y'all enjoy!  
> P.s. My friend gave me ideas and made it a little bit of a rough emotional rollercoaster, sorry not sorry.

Harshly being woken up by a pillow thrown at the face is definitely not what Ryan needed in the morning after kicking himself out of his own house.

But to Ryan, getting hit in the face with a pillow is better than any of the other attempts that have been used to wake him up. Tiredly groaning, Ryan tosses the pillow off his face and onto the floor. Wiping the sleep away from his eyes and looking up, he’s met with the face of an unapologetic Michael and the disappointed expressions from Geoff and Jack.

Rolling his eyes and huffing a breath at his three crewmates, he turns around and pulls the covers back over himself.

“I don’t need you three to harp on me, I already know how much of a fuck-up I am,” Ryan tells the three, trying to hint that he wants to be alone to wallow in his own many screw-ups.

“What happened with Gavin?” Ryan hears Jack ask, not an ounce of sympathy in his tone.

“Told him the truth a little too late,” Ryan says still facing away from the three’s penetrating gaze, “And now he hates me, and I can’t even be mad about it.”

“It’s only fair buddy,” Geoff tells Ryan, walking around the other side of the bed and pulling off the other man’s blanket.

Curling into himself and grumbling annoyedly at Geoff like a small child, Ryan gets up and swings his legs off the bed before standing up and exiting his room.

“Morning Jeremy,” Greets Ryan, making the shorter fake jump at how wrecked Ryan’s voice sounds.

“Uh, it’s like noon man,” Jeremy says back to Ryan, looking at the other fakes with a puzzled expression.

“You’ve like slept for like more than twelve hours Ryan. . . what happened yesterday with Gavin?” Jack asks again watching Ryan mess around in the cupboards, but not grab anything from them.

Closing the cupboard’s door and sighing loudly, his whole body visibly deflating as the memories from Gavin’s and his’s last conversation, “I lied to him again and again, I betrayed his trust one too many times, our entire relationship’s foundation is built on nothing honest or even remotely innocent,” Admits Ryan the other fakes staying silent as he rambles.

“He’s confused about his feelings. . . a-and I couldn’t have stayed in a home where the man I love might not love me anymore,” Ryan continues his voice going quieter and quieter until he’s speaking in a near whisper.

“Sounds pretty shitty Rye,” Michael tells Ryan, tone sounding more remorseful than his actual words.

“Did Gavin say anything about when the two of you will talk again?” Jeremy asks Ryan.

Ryan nods, “I told him to call me when he thought some things over.”

After a few moments of silence and all the fakes taking in everything with Ryan and Gavin, Geoff opens his mouth and interrupts the quiet, “Well sounds like the two of you are needing some time to think apart from one another, and you already have a room here. . .”

Picking up on what Geoff is hinting at, Ryan gives Jack and Geoff a relieved smile, “Thanks for letting me crash here.”

“Just like the good old days except everyone else has moved out,” Michael jokes, the four fakes knowing that the penthouse is more just Geoff’s and Jack’s house that people occasionally stay at.

“Well since your staying here, you might wanna go pick up some of your stuff and bring it over here,” Jack offers Ryan, making Ryan think about it before nodding.

“Gav will probably be at work trying to help fix what we did yesterday,” Ryan says, guilty reminding them what trouble they caused at Gavin’s work- but they all know it had to be done sooner or later.

Ryan tells the other fakes goodbye and lets them continue with their daily duties. Driving away from the penthouse, Ryan basically prays for Gavin not to be home when he’s there- the gent not wanting to have yet another confrontation so soon.

Unknowingly to Ryan, his prayers have already come true, but not in any way that was taken in with mercy.

**~~~~~**

 

Waking up with a swift kick to the chest is not the most ideal waking experience, but Gavin didn’t get a choice in the matter seeing where he currently is and who he’s with.

Gavin heaves and coughs, trying to breathe in the air that was just kicked out of him. Two nicely dressed men glare down at the gasping man on the ground and laugh, the sudden brash noise making Gavin flinch back away from the two men.

“So, you’re telling me you went in and nabbed him and just left? No Vagabond, Nothing?” Questions one of the men in suits.

The other man barks out another round of laughter, “It was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done, we could’ve sent the goons- or even a child! It was that easy,” Joked that man as he nudges Gavin with his foot, “Oh, but he’s a fast one this kid, played rough and dirty too.”

Looking up at the two he spots the guy closest to him was the one who attacked him. Glaring at the two men as they continue to joke around with how easy it was to get him, Gavin bites down on his tongue to stop him from blurting out something that could potentially make this more worse than it already was.

“Alright enough talk, sit him up you two,” Orders the unfamiliar man. As soon as the man’s words left his mouth two more men came out of the shadows and roughly lifted Gavin off the ground and into a chair.

Deciding between to either laugh because everything seemed like a scripted action film. Or to just cry out in fear because _this_ was reality and there is no scripts and Gavin could and possibly _will_ get hurt.

Choosing neither of his gut reactions, he just stays silent with the exception of pained whimpers he accidentally lets out when of the nicely dressed men digs his hand deep into Gavin’s hair.

“So, you’re the Vagabonds little bitch boyfriend,” Says the man, his smirk growing larger as the brit winces from the increasingly tighter grip on his head, “It’s so nice to meet you, Gavin.”

Gavin lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in, as the harshly pulling hand leaves his head. Feeling the goons move behind him he quickly looks behind him as his eyes follow the two leaving the room, leaving the two nicely dressed men and Gavin alone.

The two men take a step back from Gavin letting the spotlight above the brit light up the room around them. Gavin squints around the room and sees that it’s a small room, that has no windows and only one exit.

Gavin pushes down the childish thoughts that this is just like any action movie he seen or any adventure video games he’s ever played. As the two men continue to discuss something in the shadows, Gavin starts thinking back to Ryan and the other fakes.

Surely, they’d at least _try_ to find him, or at the very most try to rescue him. But the longer he thinks about it Gavin doesn’t know if they’d do any of that, for a member in the fakes-probably, they are one in the crew. But a friend or even just a boyfriend of one of the fakes? Gavin doesn’t _know_.

Suddenly his quickly panicking mind starts to bring up all the reasons why I’d be safer, better, _easier_ to just leave Gavin alone and at the mercy of some classily dressed dicks. He and Ryan left on a terrible note, he knows that Ryan loves him, but does Ryan even know that he loves him back?

“Alright kid,” Gavin’s head springs up as he fearfully watches as the two men lurk out from the shadows, “You know what ‘retribution’ is yeah?” Asks the man who took him in the first place.

Gavin gulps and nods, only for his head to whip to the side as a ringed finger backhand him.

“We know you aren’t a mute kid, now talk.” Snapped one of the men as the other fiddles with his ring.

“Yes, I know what ‘retribution’ means,” Gavin tells the two men, surprised on how strong his voice came out, even if fear of what is to happen and having no means for rescue is starting to numb his body.

Feeling slightly sick at the ever-growing smirks on the two men’s faces, Gavin diverts his eyes away from the two.

“Now, now Gavin look at us, you still have to talk to us.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to look at your prick dicked faces,” Gavin says back, instantly wishing to take back what he said.

“Well, well the Vagabond’s bitch has a bite to em’,” Whistles one of the men, looking relatively to calm for what Gavin just said to them.

“Think the bite will stick around after we’re done here?” Questions one of the men, roughly clapping Gavin on the back before putting his face closely next to Gavin’s.

“I hope not,” The other replies smirking sinisterly, “And if not, just means we didn’t get any ‘retribution’.”

“I’ll say...hey kid,” Speaks up the man behind him, jerking Gavin’s face up to look at him, “How do you spell our word of the day?” He asks.

“W-What-,” Gavin gasps as cold sharp metal feathers his skin as it cuts his shirt down the middle.

“I’ll help you get started, kid,” Says the man in front of him, lightly pressing the tip of a blade in the soft unmarked tissue on Gavin’s side, “You start with an ‘R’,” He continues pressing the tip deeper into Gavin and slowly carving the letter into his flesh.

Gavin’s screaming and trembling in the rough hold the man behind him has on him, he tries to kick out at the man whose cutting into him.

Annoyed at Gavin’s weak attempts, the man ignores the brit and goes over the letter two more times.

Breathing heavily and his body twitching, Gavin looks down at sluggishly bleeding ‘R’ on his side-carved into him, forever.

The man behind him looks out too and whistles in awe, “Damn that looks good Roads,” He complements the other man’s work.

“Gonna look so much better when it’s finished,” Roads says as he motions for the other man to stable Gavin again.

Eyes blown in pain and terror, Gavin struggles in the men’s hold on him and tries to break away before they can further carve into him.

“Hmm, what’s next? An ‘A’ or an ‘E’?” Asks Roads, lightly tracing the letters into Gavin’s sensitive skin.

“Which one’s next kid?” He questions adding pressure with the blade.

“E! But please, please don’t,” Gavin begs Roads feeling ashamed for pleading already so soon.

The two nicely dressed men ignore Gavin’s pleas and whimpers as their chuckles overpower Gavin’s screams as Road starts the letter ‘E’.

With even all the pain currently being inflicted upon him, all he can think about is he’s gonna die and Ryan’s never going to know why, he’s going to die, and he’ll be dead, he’s gonna die and Ryan’s going to think Gavin doesn’t love him.

Oh, how the tables have turned.

And somehow that makes Gavin break down even more than he already was.

**~~~~~**

 

“You think Gavin and Ryan are going to work it out?” Jeremy asks Michael, the older fake just shrugs his shoulders in response.

“Sure, fucking hope so, even if we have to lock them in a closet or something- mopey, sad and love-sick Ryan is worse than murder break Ryan,” Geoff contributes from the kitchen.

“Wouldn’t you be like this if you and Jack were fighting over something this big?” Jeremy shouts into the kitchen.

“We have, and we will in the future, they’ll patch things up,” Jack reassures Jeremy.

Nodding Jeremy turns away from the kitchen and watches as Michael stands up from the couch, “Well shit I better be getting home,” Michael says stretching out his arms and then checking his phone.

“What do you and Lindsay have something planned for tonight? Geoff asks entering the room.

“No not really but seeing that we are doing nothing cool today, why not head home and chill with the wifey,” Michael tells Geoff.

“Well at least tell Lindsay I’m looking to get those blueprints from her soon or tell her to get Trevor or something to do it,” Jack adds.

Just as Michael is about to walk out the door Geoff’s phone starts ringing loudly, then Jack’s, then Jeremy’s and then Michael’s. Pulling out their phones knowing that group calls are rare unless one of them are in trouble, they all stare down at their phone and they instantly know something is terribly wrong when they see Ryan’s contact name blaring at them.

They all hang up except for Geoff, who answers the phone and quickly puts it onto speaker phone as the other Fakes rush to where the oldest gent is standing.

“ _Get to my house right fucking now._ ”

The four fakes stare down at Geoff phone with matching worried expressions, “What’s going on Ryan? What’s happening, is Gavin okay?” Geoff questions.

“ _Gavin’s **gone** , the place is wrecked, and they left a note._”

The four men’s blood nearly freezes with that information, “Who wrote the note Ryan, and oh god tell me we know where they are.”

“ _Roads and Waters, they fucking figured it out and... Fuck! Just get here as fast as you can._ ”

“Wait Rye- Shit he hung up that fucking prick,” Geoff cursed as he carelessly tossed his phone out of his sight.

“Roads? Wasn’t that the guy who Ryan accidentally-,” Jack starts before being cut off by Jeremy.

“He didn’t know what he got himself into until it was too late,” Jeremy says while looking at Geoff who looks like he could kill somebody right then.

“We got to go, Ryan’s not going to wait to kill these sons of bitches even if he’s dead or dying,” Michael pointed out to the others, the lad having his own murderous glare.

Geoff nods and tells everyone to grab what they need and meet him at Ryan’s and Gavin’s house.

Jack follows Geoff as the older man rushes to the garage and into a car. As Jack speeds down the roads he sneaks glances over at Geoff the gents’ forehead creased in anger and in concern, “How long you think they have had Gav?” Jack asks the other man.

“Doesn’t matter as long as we find him unhurt and alive,” Geoff answers.

“But Geoff it’s Roads and Waters. . .”

 Geoff lets out a shaky breath and looks up at Jack, a glimpse of vulnerability before his expression becomes hardened again, “If they really did take Gavin he’s _going_ to be alive and hopefully not too fucked over. But if some other fucks think they can just take something from the fakes without worry is dead ass wrong.”

Geoff watches as Jack just nods solemnly and turns back to staring out at the windshield. The older man picks up on the other mans worry and fear for Gavin, his own concern already fucking with his brain, but this is LS, and nobody is safe for long.

But unlike others who get into tricky situations, Gavin has the most loyal and powerful crew looking out for their British prick.

Geoff holds Jacks hand in a tight comforting grip, silently telling the gent that it’s all going to work out.

 

Peeling into Gavin’s and Ryan’s driveway and just barely stopping the car before running into the front of the house, Geoff and Jack jump out the car watching as Jeremy and Michael pull up right behind them.

Rushing into where the front door is still wide open, the four holds onto their guns in precaution as they walk further into the house.

Ryan wasn’t lying when he said the place was a wreck, tables and couches toppled over and broken, the glass that’s spread hazard around the living room crunching under the four fakes steps.

Treading carefully past the living room they call out Ryan’s name, only for the gent to call out from the bedroom.

“Oh fuck Ryan,” Jeremy blurts out as they enter the bedroom.

The bedroom isn’t at bad as a mess like the living room was left in, but the door was hanging on by only one of its hinges and a few splatters of blood on the ground next to the bed.

But what made the sight worse was Ryan sitting on the bed, hands buried in his hair and a crumbled letter laying on the ground below him.

Without saying anything else, Michael reaches down and grabs the letter off the ground before handing over the letter to Geoff with a grim expression.

“We’re not going to find him alive,” Ryan breathlessly says, shocking the others as they are half-way reading through the letter.

“For fuck's sake Rye, you can’t just say stuff like that-,”

Ryan quickly stands up and stares down at the other fakes, “It’s Roads and Waters! They’ve been after _me_ after _us_ for a year! And you really think they are just gonna leave Gavin alone?” Ryan explodes interrupting whatever Geoff was trying to tell him.

“No of course not! But that doesn’t mean we're just gonna give the fuck up and say, ‘shit well we were too late’ we can’t do that to Gavin or to ourselves!” Michael argues back taking a step towards Ryan.

“We still have time Ryan, plus from what we can see here- Gavin’s fighting back,” Jack tells Ryan, trying to deflate the anger that’s starting to build between the fakes.

For a moment Ryan’s eyes flash with a look of pride as he thinks back to what the living room looked like his eyes glaze over with guilt and sadness for letting this happen in the first place and for doubting Gavin so quickly.

 “With everything said,” Speaks up Jeremy earning everybody’s attention, “We should start calling up all our contacts for whereabouts of Roads and Waters.”

“Smart thinking Jeremy- Michael you tell Lindsay what’s up,” Geoff tells the lad, the fake nodding and quickly pulling out his phone, “Jeremy, you call Trevor and the others to start poking around- Jack you talk to some of Roads and Waters known allies and see if we can get a trade to happen, and Ryan-,”

Right before Geoff can finish handing out orders, yet another phone starts ringing the unfamiliar ringtone confusing four of the fakes, while Ryan’s eyes widen at the sound of Gavin’s phone ringing.

**~~~~~**

 

Sitting alone in a small semi pitch-dark room is much scarier than what horror movies make of them.

Sitting alone in a semi pitch-dark room after being beaten and carved into, quadruples that frightened factor past any horror film scare scale.

Gavin lets his body become limp after the two nicely dressed men leave. Somehow with everything that was happening, he still managed to pick up on their names.

Roads and Waters.

It made Gavin want to laugh right in their faces.

But his mind and body were too tired to do anything but nothing.

Straining his neck as Gavin tries to look down at his aching and pulsing torso, his eyes weakly exploring the newly added feature in his skin.

Going down his torso is the word ‘RETRIBUTION’ forever sloppily etched deep into his skin. 

Tightly closing his eyes as he tries to force the image of the branding out of his mind and every time he closes his eyes.

Letting himself shed tears and he hangs his head back in exhaustion he only wishes for what happened all those months ago never occurred.

But that wouldn’t have stopped Ryan lying to him.

Ryan still lied even after everything.

Gavin wants Ryan to find him.

He doesn’t want to die like this.

  **~~~~~**

 

“ _Hello? Gav buddy are you there?_ ”

Ryan looks at the other fakes for help, “Uh no sorry this is his boyfriend Ryan?” He tells the other on the phone, coming out more of a question than a statement, “Who is this?”

“ _Burnie Burns, I’m Gavin’s boss down at the news station,_ ” Answerers Burnie, his tone sounding more annoyed then what Ryan is expecting from Gavin’s boss.

Watching at the other fakes slowly head over to where Ryan’s talking on the phone, Geoff waves his hand at Ryan to keep talking, “Oh yeah Burnie! Gavin has told me about you, what are you calling for?” Ryan asks.

“ _I texted him last night to come to work today but he didn’t show up. . ._ ” Burnie’s says trailing off at the end, “ _Anyways wanted to call him and see why he didn’t come in today- i-is he sick or something?”_ He continues, the man on the phone sounding like he’s worried about something.

Taking the phone off speaker and holding it away from their mouths, Ryan asks the others what he should tell Gavin’s boss, “We should at least lie to him about Gavin right?”

“It sounds like he knows something,” Michael chimes in, “Like he knows that something is up with Gav and wants to make sure it’s not true,” He continues.

Thinking it over the fakes realize that Burnie does sound off a little.

Geoff looks at the phone with contemplative glare, “Here hand the phone over,” Geoff tells Ryan grabbing the phone before the other gent can even give it to him, “Burnie Burns right?”

“Burnie Burns, hell It’s been a while!” Geoff cheers into the phone.

“ _Who is this? Where did Ryan go? Are the one who fucking took Gavin you piece of shit-_ ,”

“Whoa what no- Burns it's me Ramsey, Geoff?”

“ _Geoff Ramsey, the damned king of LS, why the fuck do you have Gavin’s phone.”_

“Left it at home, look, Burns, I know it’s been a couple years but-,”

“ _’Ey, ‘Ey, ‘Ey- answer my question, Ramsey._ ”

Geoff sighs and takes the phone away from his ear and turns on speaker phone, “The fakes are close acquaintances with Gavin and he’s missing, but from what I hear you already knew that,” The gent tells Burnie.

“How the hell do you know Gavin’s boss?” Jeremy asks Geoff confused as to how Geoff knows nearly everybody.

“Later Jeremy,” Jacks tells the lad.

“ _Do you have any clue to where he is?_ ” Asks Burnie making Ryan and the other fakes frown.

“No, but we know who took him- how did you know he was missing?” Geoff replies.

“ _One of my tippers told me this morning. Told me that Gavin was dating the infamous Vagabond,_ ” Says Burnie already putting the two together with the Vagabond, Gavin and the fakes connection.

“ _Seeing that you guys are probably more likely to do something about this, I won’t make a police report about Gavin. But you and your crew better find him, he means a lot to me and to the station,_ ” Admits Burnie.

“We’re looking for him Burns, we aren’t letting him go,” Geoff assures Burnie.

With that Geoff hands over the phone back to Ryan as Burnie ends the call. Ryan glowers down at Gavin’s phone and tucks it away in his pocket before turning to look at the other fakes.

They’re going to find Gavin to matter what. 

**~~~~~**

  

Thinking with what optimism Gavin still has left, he hopes that it hasn’t been more than a day since he’s been taken.

His side was poorly and painfully cleaned and wrapped then left alone again in the dark with any word spoken between Gavin and the goon that came in.

Torso still numbly throbbing the Brit tries to pull on the zip ties binding his hands together, frustrated at his own limp arms he forces down a cry as he moves his shoulder to sharply. Breathing in and out deeply he rests his head as comfortably as he can and keeps his eyes glued to the door across from him.

Feeling as though any energy or strength in his body has washed away, Gavin stares angrily into the dark. This was never supposed to have happen, he was going to make up with Ryan and hopefully move on.

Not this.

Never this.

Before Gavin can use his anger to attempt to break free again, the door he was watching swings open and loudly hits the wall, the sudden commotion making Gavin freeze in fear and panic.

Stomping out from the dark and into Gavin’s face, Roads glares down at the brit and studies the others face with a snarl on his face before turning around and shouting at Waters and two other goons, “We need to leave this place it’s been compromised,” He demands.

With a knowing look and nod from Roads to Waters, Waters swiftly and mercilessly shoots the two goons who were warily standing next to him.

Looking down at two where the goons lay lifeless and bleeding, Gavin stares fearfully up at Roads and Waters, “What’s going on?”

Roads shakes his head at Gavin before yanking the brit out of his chair, bring the two face to face, “We were sold out to your _lovely little_ Fakes!” Roads sneers with a sickening smirk.

“Roads we should’ve left like ten minutes ago, let’s just shoot the kid and leave!” Whatever hopeful expression Gavin had on his face quickly fades away as his panic starts kicking in again as he tries to squirm out of Roads grip on him.

“The fakes will still get the message, let's go before we die you fucking idiot!” Waters shouts at Roads, frantically looking behind him.

“We haven’t done enough Waters! This stupid bitch is still fighting- Ah fuck!” Screams Roads as Gavin manages to kick out hard enough at Roads crotch.

Without Roads grasp on him Gavin harshly drops to the ground, his head hitting the floor first on the way down.

“You’ve become fucking crazy! I’m leaving before we all die,” Waters tells Roads as he turns to leave the room, but not quick enough to dodge Roads bullet as it hits him in the back of the head. Like a sack of potatoes Waters crashes down next to the two goons’ lifeless bodies, his own blood mixing with the others.

Trying to shake the fuzziness out of his head and gawking at how easily it was for Roads kill an associate, Gavin watches as Roads lets out a choked laugh before beginning to laugh like a madman.

Roads looks down the Gavin with a crazed look in his eyes as he reaches down to grab the brit off the floor, but before Roads can even touch the other man his head snaps towards the door as hurried footsteps echo into the room.

Hearing his name getting called out by familiar panicked voices, Gavin nearly forgets where he is as he calls out to them in return.

“Guys! I’m-,”

His shout gets cut off as soon as the weight of Roads sitting on his back knocks the wind out of him, trying to shuck off Roads he freezes when the solid, burning hot barrel of a gun forces his head back onto the ground.

Without even being able to look up he knows the fakes have entered the room, hearing gasps that turn into angered grunts and near growls, Gavin swallows a lump in his throat as he feels Roads shift on top of him.

“Well hello Fakes, wanna talk?” Roads smirks up at the fakes, earning disgusted looks from the other men all points their own weapons at Roads.

Slowing stepping further and over the bodies, the fakes eye Roads up and down before their eyes land on Gavin, Geoff and Jack taking in what injury’s the can see on the brit. 

Humming in distaste, Roads presses the barrel harder into Gavin’s head, “Surprised you all aren’t screaming and shouting at me—you all did last time, what’s different this time around?” Roads questions the fakes, his eyes narrowing on Geoff and Ryan.

“We aren’t playing around Roads, this isn’t some sort of fucking business transaction,” Geoff replies returning Road’s glare.

“It wasn’t one last time either!” Roads shouts at the fakes, “You fucked up my crew, my base, _and_ my fucking family!”

The fakes suddenly look crestfallen as they avoid Road’s demented gaze, then as Roads fires a shot right above Gavin’s head, they all look down at the brit in panic.

Jerking in shock at the close proximity of the shot, Gavin nearly bucks off Roads before the other man forces his head back down.

Ryan slightly snarls as he takes a step forwards, none of the other fakes being able to drag him back before he’s already out of their reach.

Removing his gun from Gavin’s head to point at Ryan, Gavin finally is able to look up and see the scene playing out around him. Meeting Ryan’s eyes, Gavin tries to silently tell the older man everything he’s feeling and thinking, Ryan sadly nods down at Gavin before giving him a slight smile.

Proud that he got the gun off Gavin and thinking that the other fakes are probably thinking the same thing, Ryan matches the intensity in Roads eyes with his own.

“Ryan-,” Warningly speaks up Jeremy before getting waved off by Ryan.

Finger on the trigger Roads watches as the Vagabond takes another step forward, “The infamous Vagabond, murderer-extraordinaire and merciless abomination what the fuck do you think you're doing?” Roads asks followed with a dark chuckle as he digs his knees deeper into Gavin’s back.

Without answering Ryan takes another step forward, “Step back Vagabond, I still have your little bitch under me,” Sneers Roads, his smirk falling a bit when Ryan just steps a little bit closer without hesitation.

“Just going to stand there Ramsey? Let your guard dog step up first to die?” Roads asks addressing Geoff as he grips his guns trigger tighter, his aim points straight at Ryan’s head.

“Just like you did with your own crew Roads?” Geoff challenges as he grits his teeth, his and the other fakes guns still pointed at Roads.

Heart skipping a beat as he feels Roads go stiff above him, Gavin looks up at Geoff in an attempt to make eye contact with the older fake.

Letting out a growl and glaring at the fakes as he quickly rams the gun into the back of Gavin’s head, “It was either them or me! You’d do the same Ramsey, don’t fucking lie that you wouldn’t!” Road screams at Geoff.

“Loyalty Roads! Loyalty is what with your crew, with your own _wife_ ,” Geoff shouts back at Roads as Jack stops Michael from yelling at Roads too.

“You don’t have any loyalty Roads,” Ryan says as he sneaks a glance down at Gavin, “That’s why you made your wife die for you. Just so you could get away.”

With Ryan’s words hitting a nerve, Roads standing up off Gavin and marches, so he’s face to face with the Vagabond, he jabs the barrel into Ryan’s temple, “I LOVED HER! SHE WAS MY BEST FRIEND! SHE ONLY EVER TRIED TO PROTECT ME!” Roads explodes, his voice booming in such a small space.

“So you use her as a fucking human shield? Your partner? Your best friend? Your wife! You _made_ her die to ‘protect’ you!” Ryan shouts back at Roads as he keeps glancing down at Gavin, the brit looking up at Ryan with fire glazed look in his eyes.

Neither agreeing or disagreeing with Ryan, Roads continues to scream in the fakes face, “ _YOU_ WERE THE ONE TO KILL HER, _YOU_ MURDERED HER AND TOOK HER AWAY FROM ME! I CAN NEVER BE HAPPY AGAIN BECAUSE OF YOU!” He blames Ryan before his eyes enlighten with more deadly hatred.

“This is only fair,” Roads calmly says a drastic change from a few seconds previous, then with a sickeningly sweet grin he points his gun away from Ryan and pulls the trigger.

**~~~~~**

 

Waking up basked in soft morning sun and being in a tightly cocooned bundle of blankets, is probably the best waking up experience one could have. But for Gavin, it’s only soothing for a mere few seconds before pain and most recent memories start to come back to him.

Shrinking away from the sun as it hits his sensitive eyes, he turns over and clutches the blankets as pain and panic rock through his mind and body. Letting a whine escape his lips as the bed he’s laying on dips next to him, he hears somebody talking and the painful sunlight is gone, dipping the room into a soothing darkness.

After a few moments of letting the waves rush through his body, Gavin takes the chance and turns over and find whoever was talking earlier.

Being met with the familiar figure of Michael and Jeremy standing above the bed and Ryan sitting down on the bed next to him, the three of them looking at him with guilty expressions.

“M-Morning?” Gavin croaks as he guesses what time of day it is.

“Hey Gav, how are you doing?” Questions Jeremy offering a small smile.

Having the pain somewhat dumb down from when he woke up, and the memories feeling more of a fever dream then a pulsating pain in his mind and soul, he feels pretty okay.

“I’m...okay, for now at least.”

“That’s good Boi, we’re glad,” Michael says softly, which makes Gavin quirk a brow in how the two other lads are treating him like a porcelain doll.

His eyes wander around the room, his eyes landing on Ryan as the older man’s eyes are looking everywhere but at him.

Annoyed at the three of them, Gavin clears his throat in an attempt to not sound as pathetic, “What happened with R-Roads?” He asks them, starting off with where his memories cut off to nothingness.

“He’s...dead,” Ryan said slowly.

Finding it kinda odd on why that doesn’t surprise or disturb him, Gavin nods his head and asks for an elaboration.

“Ryan shot him after he shot at you,” Jeremy tells Gavin, saying it quick just like ripping off a Band-Aid.

That one is a shock to Gavin, seeing that he’s currently alive and the only pain he’s feeling is on his side. The memory of Road’s blade cutting into his skin making him shiver and shake.

“But—I’m alive?” Gavin puzzles.

“Shot _at_ you, he missed,” Michael tells Gavin, but the brit can’t shake off the feeling that something else happened.

“Is that all?” Gavin blankly asks the three fakes.

The three look at him like he’s gone crazy, “ _’Is that all?’_ you almost died, Gavin!” Jeremy retorts.

Furrowing his brows at the three, Gavin shakes his head, “Roads dead, you guys are alive, I’m alive—so, what is the bleeding problem?” He says.

“They fucking kidnapped and tortured you, _Gavin_ ,” Shouts Ryan suddenly standing up off the bed, “And all you say is that there isn’t a problem!?” he finishes as he looks down at Gavin with angry tears in his eyes.

Flinching away slightly at Ryan’s movement and loud voice, he feels his heart beat faster before he remembers that it’s just Ryan... _just Ryan._

It all hits him at once.   

Gavin watches as Ryan realizes his mistake and immediately head to leave the room, but before he can go far Gavin ignores the shooting pain in his side and the swimming of his vision as he grabs onto Ryan’s arm and nearly drags him onto the bed.

Before Ryan knows it, Gavin is curled up in his lap, hands tightly fisted into his shirt and Gavin’s face tucked into Ryan’s neck. Hesitantly he carefully wraps his arms around Gavin and pulls the lad closer to his chest.

With the two wrapped in their own little world, Gavin and Ryan don’t notice Jeremy and Michael quietly leaving the two of them be.

After a while, Ryan can feel his neck become damp and Gavin feels the back of his shirt gain a wet patch.

When the two of theirs tears run out and Ryan’s legs start falling asleep, the two fall back onto the bed with little words spoken between them.

As what little light that shines into the room starts to dim, and the penthouse nearly dead-silent, Ryan starts to speak.

“I was so scared that you were dead Gav, I-I just saw his gun move and the sound and I shot him without even looking at you,” Ryan admits, “I didn’t even look to see if you were _alive,_ ” He continues looking at the brit straight in the eyes.

“I love you,” Gavin tells the other man, softly smiling at Ryan and resting a hand on the other man’s cheek.

Furrowing his brows in confusion, Ryan continues to look at Gavin questioningly, “Okay? Did you not just hear that I killed some guy-,”

“That’s what you do for a living love,” Gavin interrupts.

Ryan sits up and Gavin lets his hand slip away, “I killed a man for you today,” he rephrases.

“I love you,” Gavin repeats.

Looking more and more puzzled by the second, Ryan slowly lays back down next to Gavin, “I love you too, but Gav-,”

“Ryan,” Gavin interrupts again earning Ryan’s full attention, “He was going to die no matter what, by your hands, the fakes hands or some other lucky pricks hands.”

Watching at the gears start turning in Ryan’s head, Gavin moves closer to the other man, the brit wanting to just be close to the gent.

Couple minutes later Ryan hum’s in understanding and hugs Gavin closer to him, the gent reminding himself that Gavin’s there with him and alive.

“Because of our fight I didn’t think you’d look for me,” Gavin admits to Ryan, ignoring the way how Ryan goes still, “I dunno why I thought that but I truly believed it—Ryan, that was the scariest part Ryan, that you and the fakes would leave me to die like that, that you wouldn’t know or even bloody care why I died-,”

“I’ll never, _ever_ do that to you Gavin,” Ryan roughly says interrupting the brits rambles, as he gently guides Gavin’s face to look at him, “I promise you that me and the fakes care so much for you, that if this were to happen again or someone was to hurt you the whole fake ah crew will tear down LS to get you back,” Ryan promises Gavin.

Gavin nods and smiles at Ryan’s words before letting Ryan pull him back into his chest.

“I promise to tell you everything that I and the crew do—stuff that might affect you,” he continues to promise.

“I promise to never lie to you again—for _real_ this time,” he adds.

"I promise that you're going to heal from this—with time of course,” Ryan assures as he gently goes over the clothed and newly wrapped carving in Gavin’s side, his touch making the lad shiver.

“I promise you that I’ll never make you feel like your death wouldn’t _destroy_ me,” he finishes with a kiss to Gavin’s hair.

“That’s a lot bleeding promises to keep Haywood,” Gavin mumbles.

“I promise to keep every one of them,” Ryan says earning a laugh from Gavin.

“You are such a pricky nerd,” Gavin tells Ryan, moving away from the other man's chest to look down lovingly at him.

“Hmm, I love you too,” Ryan hums as he moves up and kisses Gavin.

Melting into the kiss and savoring every second of it like oxygen, Gavin starts to let his worries fade from his mind.

 _Things were different and always will be now, but it’s a good different._   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cheezy kinda ending but this was a treat to write and a fun time too, hope you all liked reading it :)


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